


King's Favour

by rinstop



Series: Prompt fills [5]
Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 17:57:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6205081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinstop/pseuds/rinstop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which a palace guard catches his king's eye</p>
            </blockquote>





	King's Favour

Rin watched from the balcony as the troop of soldiers practiced in the courtyard below. The sun is high and bright overhead and the soldiers are stripped to the waist in the heat, skin glistening with sweat as they move through their drills. Their movements are precise and co-ordinated, imbued with such speed and power that Rin cannot help but be impressed.

His eyes are drawn to one young man in particular - short, dark hair curling against his head with sweat, twirling his spear through the forms of the pattern with a unique flair. When he turned, the blunted blade of the practice weapon was a glistening arc around him, his stabs and thrusts were an extension of his body, his parries and blocks fluid and strong. His face was pretty, even strained in concentration and his body was strong and well built, slender limbs extending gracefully. Rin enjoyed himself for a while, immersed in the spectacle of skill and beauty that was the young man’s performance, watching the sweat gleaming on his shoulders and the twist of muscles in his stomach and chest, before reminding himself why they were practicing so hard.

Tomorrow was the day that the members of the king’s own retinue would be picked, by Rin himself no less. They would be his men for life, his most trusted, his closest line of defence. They would guard him in his sleep and accompany him everywhere he went, protecting him with their lives from whatever danger that would target him. It was a position that was considered the highest of honours and one that was competed over fiercely, in a tournament held in the king’s name - Rin’s name.

As he watched the youth, he thought he might like to have him near his side every day.


End file.
